USGA's Davis Defends Fox Sports Deal Announcement Timing

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USGA Executive Director Mike Davis was on Sirius XM's Fairways of Life with Matt Adams Tuesday to talk about a variety of subjects before Adams asked about the new Fox Sports television deal.

Davis had to open by mopping up the mess made by USGA President Glen Nager in the initial press release that essentially made the current broadcast partners sound like amateurs who were not capable of progressing any further.

Very exciting news, first and foremost, let me start out by saying, that they have been fabulous partners. We have been with ESPN for 33 years, and NBC Golf Channel for 20 years. And both of those organizations truly took our championships to a new level. They are just first class organizations and wonderful people to work with and you know, personally, there's a lot of friendships between the organizations and that's going to be tough. But we are very excited about Fox Sports. And for us, we just feel from a qualitative and quantitative standpoint this was a deal that was just too good to refuse. We're going to get a lot more promotion and hours for amateur championships which we really think is important for the game.

NBC proposed 70 more hours of the three championships an audience higher than a .1 might watch, but the USGA would rather get the Senior Women's Amateur or the Four-Ball on television?

Sorry to interrupt...

We'll get promotion of our Open championship.There's some exciting things from a digital media standpoint. But I think Matt, for the game of golf, to have it covered now by all of the major networks, that's good for the game. That's not necessarily a USGA thing, that's the game of golf. But listen, we ultimately we are making a good bit more money from this and we are a non-profit, and our money has to go back into the game of golf. And that's a little bit different maybe from a week-to-week tour event that has these wonderful charities and they give to a children's hospital or cancer.

Our monies must go back into the game. So I think that's exciting because we will have more funds that ultimately let's us do a better job governing, do a better job running our championships and, important for everyone, sustaining the game. Things like pace of play, junior golf, turfgrass research, working more closely with the state and regional golf associations, focusing on water, all these things that are important for all golfers, not just the professional game.

We're excited about Fox, they're excited. I know we have some challenges putting this all together over the next couple of years but they're exciting challenges. Ultimately I think it's going to be good for the USGA and good for the game.

Adams asked if there was fallout "from the timing of the announcement" on the eve of the PGA Championship.

Matt, good question. Because, listen, I know there's been a lot said and written about this. I can tell you the timing was anything but intentional. And we were unfortunately really backed into a corner. The way our agreements work with both ESPN and NBC is that there was an exclusive negotiating period. Which in this case it was written ten years ago, and was from June 1 to August 1, and we didn't feel like we quite got there with the offers on the table so we went to the open market and ultimately Fox came in, ESPN and NBC were still part of the process, we looked at the three bids and our Board of Directors decided we were going to Fox. We notified the winner and the two that didn't get it and Matt, you know, it's one of those things where these three organizations are publicly traded companies and our legal council advised and outside legal council advised we couldn't sit on that information for five or six days because dozens of people knew about it.

Imagine what the markets might have done had the news got out? Stock prices would have not moved a cent. $100 million a year to News Corp is Roger Ailes 'salary and the companywide paper clip budget. Go on...

So we contacted the PGA of America ahead of time and said listen, this is anything but we want to do is announce on the eve of your championship, but we must do that. Looking back on it, if there is anything we could have done, we would have done Matt. The last thing we wanted to do was affect the PGA. And after all, that's an organization, the PGA of America, that really in so many ways is the backbone of the game. They do so many great things on a local and national basis. That's an organization we worked with for decades and we will work with [for] decades. And you know, yes, there was this public disagreement on anchoring. That we really kind of agreed to disagree, but the relationship we have is great.

When I think great relationships, I think USGA-PGA.

So It's unfortunate that some out there were kind of cynical about that we purposely did that. That's anything but the truth. And certainly not based on any facts. It's unfortunate. Hopefully it didn't affect the PGA Championship. So, that's a little background that maybe will shed a little light on what happened.

Call me cynical, but I'm skeptical about the pre-emptive call Davis is suggesting was made. PGA of America President Ted Bishop addressed the shock and tackiness of the announcement in a recent interview, and certainly does not sound like someone who had any idea this was coming. And when I contacted PGA of America officials on Wednesday night of the PGA, hours after the deal was announced, these did not seem like people who knew this was coming. A statement was most certainly not prepared in advance but they did call a very nice audible.

It was also the second time in five years the USGA made news during a PGA.

**The PGA of America warning courtesy call was a matter of minutes before the announcement, definitely not hours or days, a source confirms.

Haas On Tiger Talk: "His lack of winning a major is the only thing talked about, which I think is sad"

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Bailey Mosier with Bill Haas's remarks on the eve of the Barclays, addressing those questioning the state of Tiger's game by a season in which he didn't win a major.

"His lack of winning a major is the only thing talked about, which I think is sad," Haas said. "I think it's ignorant."

Oy: Muirfield Village's New Presidents Cup Fence Kills Two Deer

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Residents around Muirfield Village are not pleased with the new iron fencing that has already killed two deer in gruesome fashion. The fencing has been installed as part of the Presidents Cup security by the PGA Tour Championship Management in conjunction with Muirfield Village.

From a report by the local ABC affiliate in Columbus.

A Facebook page has been established by the residents to get the fence changed.

"Has the USGA shown an indifference to winning, and thus cheapened the best event in amateur golf, in order to celebrate the traditions of the game?"

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Ryan Lavner at GolfChannel.com files a must-read analysis of the secretive Walker Cup selection process and concludes that "the best event in amateur golf is in the midst of an identity crisis" and that the wounds are entirely self-inflicted by the USGA.

After punching holes in every statistical theory that might justify the automatic inclusion of two mid-amateurs to beef up the Team USA's supposedly weak foursomes play, Lavner takes aim at the secrecy of the selection process.

One of the many appeals of the Ryder, Presidents and Solheim cups is that players and fans alike can track the standings until the cutoff date. It’s transparent. No secrets. Either they make it on merit, or they hope for a wild-card pick.  

The seven-man selection committee, meanwhile, treats the selection of the U.S. Walker Cup team like the government would issues of national security. Apparently, there is an internal system that ranks the tournaments based on strength of field, but its pseudo-points list isn't made public.   

“I’m not really trying to hide anything,” Burton said. “But at the same time these are very difficult decisions, and so we would prefer to keep our process internal.”

Of course the questions this time around are certainly tainted by the mandatory mid-amateur inclusions, but they still pale in comparison to the John Peterson boondoggle of 2011 when he offered a resume but was left off the team because of his personality, then finished T4 at the 2012 U.S. Open. Here was the committee then.

I expect a penetrating rebuttal from the Global Golf Post, Fox Sports and USGA messenging teams just as soon as the Fox team learns the difference between the PGA of America and the PGA Tour. Which, should be by 2015.

No Evidence Of Back9 Network's "Build-Out"

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Thanks to reader Brad for Dan Haar's Hartford Courant story on Ahmad Rashad joining the BackNineNetwork as a personality and investor, but even the local paper is skeptical about the golf lifestyle network's planned 2014 launch.

Back9 renovated a floor of the "Boat Building" on Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford and took space nearby on the plaza, formerly occupied by Spris restaurant, with plans to spend $8 million on a buildout. But that buildout hasn't happened yet, as the fledgling network seeks a deal with a major cable carrier.

The Donald Names Second Course After Mom

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The "MacLeod" course at Trump International Scotland will feature six holes in the dunes and a name invoking Donald Trump's late mother, reports Frank Urquhart who attended a public unveiling of plans by architect Martin Hawtree.

What it lacks in dunes golf it makes up for in length, stretching to 7.400 yards.

Dr Hawtree said: “This will be a golf course for all, ranging in difficulty and challenge depending on which of the four or five tee positions is selected, spanning a range of lengths up to 7400 yards. Fairways will be generous in width but tighter where the longer player will be challenged with bunkers, dunes and rough.

“The rough will be a particular feature of the course, changing in character through the course from wild meadows in the arable parts of the site, through wetlands in the central areas, to marram roughs in the southern dunes, and heathland vegetation in the areas immediately to the back of the sand dunes.”

Kite: Most Players Said Good Things About Liberty National

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Liberty National co-architect Tom Kite's remarks that a vocal minority in 2009 got too much attention for criticizing the course might carry a little more weight if they hadn't completely blown the place up.

Brett Cyrcalis reports on Kite's visit to Liberty Monday on the even of the Barclays.

“There were a lot people that raved about the golf course, and there were a few people that were critical,” Kite told The Post behind the driving range at Liberty National, where the first tournament of the four-event FedEx Cup playoffs will begin. “We tried to address some of the issues that were a concern to some of the players, and at the same time build on all the really good things most of the players said. It wasn’t written about, but most of the players said really good things.

“It’s easy to write negative stuff,” Kite continued. “It’s more than that. When people say complimentary things about you, you all don’t write about it. There’s no question that that was the case.”

Ahmad To Continue Off-Radar Activities, Inks Back 9 Net Deal

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Absent from his two-day-a week Morning Drive role at Golf Channel for some time now, it turns out Ahmad Rashad must have been in high-level negotiations to take his earring to Back9Network's vast online audience.

Happier times? Little did I know that it's been reported Ahmad and Kelly Tilghman were not getting along, a report from The Big Lead said back on July 24 and missed by yours truly while vacationing). I've heard it was not true and the two got on fine.

Well there's no Tiger to fight over at Back9Network. And no airwaves yet, either.

For Immediate Release:

Ahmad Rashād Joins Back9Network as Executive Producer and On-Air Host
in Partnership Aimed at Changing the Face of Golf
 
HARTFORD, CONN., August 20, 2013:  Back9Network, the golf lifestyle multiplatform media network, announced today that Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, Ahmad Rashād, will join the network as executive producer and on-air host.  Rashād is leaving behind a co-host role at Golf Channel’s Morning Drive.
 
“We are delighted to welcome Ahmad to Back9Network,” said James L. Bosworth, CEO of Back9Network.  “Ahmad’s personal style, love of golf, and desire to grow the game aligns perfectly with the mission of Back9Network.  In addition, Ahmad brings a unique dimension to our network’s programming with his vision and relationships within both the golf lifestyle space and professional sports.”
 
“Back9Network is a special opportunity that I simply could not pass up,” said Rashād.  “I’m excited for the many possibilities that lie ahead.  Co-hosting Morning Drive was a great experience, and I would like to thank Molly Solomon and the Golf Channel for the past year.”
 
After a successful NFL career that included four Pro Bowl selections, Rashād  covered a variety of sports for NBC, ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and Golf Channel.  In his new position with the Back9Network, Rashād will perform a number of roles that will help shape the new network’s identity and programming, including creative and executive team membership, on-air hosting, and the production and execution of special lifestyle event coverage around golf majors and other venues around the world.  Rashād also will continue his executive producer and host roles for the NBA.
 
Back9Network, which made its online debut in 2012, is focused on all the things golf fans love about playing and living the game.  Back9Network’s state-of-the-art TV studio and digital video production facility is located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, which is quickly becoming the sports media capital of the world with ESPN, NBC Sports and YES Network also based in the state.  Back9Network plans to launch its television-programming lineup via cable and satellite in 2014.

GHIN Outage: USGA Did Not Renew The GHIN.com Domain

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The United States Golf Association's Golf Handicap And Information Network (GHIN) was rendered inoperable on all digital platforms late last Wednesday, August 14th and all-day Thursday, August 15th. Two sources confirm the online handicap computation service and registry was out of commission because the USGA did not renew the GHIN.com website domain before the expiration date.

In a statement, the USGA says there was an issue with "auto renewal."

"The GHIN Service experienced an issue with its domain name auto-renewal process on Thursday which caused a temporary disruption in service. Appropriate action was immediately taken, and the site is fully operational. We apologize for any inconvenience and assure our customers that steps are being taken to prevent this from happening in the future."

I queried my Twitter followers and several reported getting an "unable to join network" message all day Thursday, while those using the GHIN mobile app were required to re-enter their handicap number and log-in information.

A search of GHIN.com reveals that the address was created on August 15, 1996, updated on August 15, 2013 and now expires on August 14th, 2014.  In the FYI department, USGA.org and USOpen.com both expire on October 5, 2013.

Perhaps Fox Sports could supply a down payment on their new television money to help the USGA cover the two, sometimes even three-figure cost of renewing domains.

Old Town's Maxwell Restoration: A "Grand Slam"

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John Dell took a look at the restoration of Perry Maxwell's Old Town Club--ironically once mangled by Liberty National architect Bob Cupp--and comes away calling the Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw restoration a "grand slam."

This PDF of before-after photos tell the visual story. You won't see many more stunning architectural transformations than this.

From golf chairman Dunlop White:

"Coore and Crenshaw have successfully recaptured the ‘big bone’ presence of our 1939 layout, and today all of our features possess a much larger footprint,” White said last week, just before the re-opening.

The course had been closed since December, and the $1 million restoration had plenty of phases to it. The bunker sizes were restored and reshaped to capture an old-style look and feel that resembles courses in the Pinehurst area.

They even put back the rare double green built by Maxwell.

Old Town used to play at about 6,800 yards from the back tees. It now can play at 7,037 yards.
Coore, who hopes to make it back to Old Town this fall, said by telephone that he and his team, which included Dave Axland, were the most nervous about the double green.

"We knew something had to be done with the double green, and we wanted to make sure it was done right, and when it was completed we liked how it turned out,” Coore said.

Other major changes included fairway expansions from 35 acres to 52 acres that give golfers more choices off the tee and plenty of fairway.

The story also featured this video interviewing superintendent O’Neal Crouch.

The Re-Re-Improved Liberty National Returns...

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We architecture geeks will have no complaints this week, still high on The Country Club looking better than it has in years and Colorado Golf Club proving downright amazing to watch even if the Solheim Cup matches ended up a blowout. But reality sets in as the tour moves to the new, re-re-improved Liberty National for the Barclays.

Players will be on fine-watch for saying anything remotely critical after Commissioner Finchem buddy Paul Fireman sank even more millions beyond the initial $250 million he spent on this Bob Cupp-Tom Kite design that brought up the rear in Golf World's PGA Tour course ranking.

Still, it's good fun to go back and read the remarks from last time, including one of Tiger's all time best lines.

Brett Cyrgalis talks to the PGA Tour's Steve Wenzloff about the softening of features and shifting of the 18th green to give the Barclays corporate tent more room, not that anyone will miss the old finishing hole.

“The goal of the modification was really to help increase the overall receptiveness of the golf course,” said Steve Wenzloff, the PGA Tour’s vice president of design services and player liaison. “I say receptiveness as sort of a broad definition. Specially, two facets: the tee shots and the approach shots.”

So you're softening the tee shots and the approaches to the greens, which leaves? Nothing else.

The nuts and bolts of the re-do:

In total, five greens were entirely rebuilt, and an additional six were reconstructed; 13 landing areas were altered; and 11 tee boxes were expanded or moved. Some fairway bunkers were moved farther from the line of play, and the greens complexes generally were made flatter, allowing for more hole locations and less severe run-offs into deep chipping areas.

The 18th green was moved 20 yards down the fairway to allow for Barclays to have a larger corporate tent, and the hole stayed the same length by virtue of a rarely used back tee, 20 yards behind the one used in 2009.

That could be a first...a green moved for a corporate tent.

Playoff "Vernacular" & Logo Change...Again!

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Disappointingly, the Reset Cup has not become the preferred description of the algorithm infused, two-points reset system best known as the FedExCup Playoffs, until next year when the vernacular changes again.

For Immediate Something:

NEW LOGO FOR THE FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS
 
The seventh year of the FedExCup Playoffs kicks off this week at The Barclays, featuring the top 125 players in the 2013 FedExCup standings.
 
For your use, we have attached the new logo, "FedExCup Playoffs," that replaces the previous version, "PGA TOUR Playoffs." We would greatly appreciate any  references going forward to be the "FedExCup Playoffs" and use of the new logo as well.
 
Additional changes to PGA TOUR vernacular are as follows:
 
·        The Playoffs officially become the FedExCup Playoffs (with new logo).
·        There should be no more reference to the Regular Season.

What about lower case regular season?

·        The 2013 PGA TOUR Season concludes October 6 at The Presidents Cup.  The 2013-14 PGA TOUR Season begins October 7 at the Frys.com Open.
·        Reference to a specific tournament will still be by the calendar year in which it is played.
·        There no longer will be a “Fall Series” on the PGA TOUR; those should be referred to as “season-opening events.”
·        The final four events on the Web.com Tour are the Web.com Tour Finals, ending with the Web.com Tour Championship at TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley course).